Amara Cortas
Amara Cortas is the fourth child and only daughter of the late Emperor Cortas. After poisoning her father and two of her older brothers, Dastan and Elan, she ascended the Kraeshian throne and took the title of Empress. Personality and Appearance Amara, like her brother Ashur, is stunningly beautiful, with rich brown skin and long ebony hair. She has a voluptuous figure and is very flirtatious. Her father and brothers dismissed her early on as simple-minded and hedonistic, because she was a woman, but Amara in reality is very cunning, manipulative and deceitful. Despite this, like all Kraeshians, she does prefer bluntness, which she demonstrates time and time again. She is strong-willed and will do anything to gain and retain power, without regret or hesitation, which she proved by murdering her beloved brother Ashur after his betrayal and by killing her family to become Empress. She is a confident woman, completely assured of her own superiority. She does, however, fear love, for she believes it weakens, which she proves by framing Felix Gaebras for her family's murder. She felt herself beginning to fall in love with Felix and so quickly devised a way to rid herself of him and protect herself from becoming vulnerable. Early Life In Kraeshia, female children are often killed by their fathers, for to produce a daughter is considered extremely weak in such a strongly misogynistic culture. When Amara was born, her mother was beaten nearly to death for bearing a daughter, and, as is Kraeshian law, her father was allowed one chance to drown her. Amara's mother, however, devised a plan to save her daughter by purchasing a resurrection potion from a apothecary. The potion was administered to the infant Amara and briefly after drowning, she was magically resuscitated. Her father was furious, but has no choice to accept and name his newborn daughter, lest he anger the gods. As is the case with all magic, it comes at a price, and the price for Amara's life was her mother's. Her grandmother, Neela, believes Amara is The Phoenix, an ancient being from Kraeshian legend that was destined to return from the dead and save the Empire. Part In the Books In Gathering Darkness- Amara joins her brother Ashur in Mytica in the beginning of the third novel, and assumes a carefree and charismatic demeanor to deceive the Mytican rulers. During the course of her visit, she has an affair with Prince Magnus in an attempt to pump him for information regarding the Kindred, but it remains almost strictly sexual, as Magnus only entertains her to take his mind off and to annoy Princess Cleo, with whom he is beginning to fall in love. Amara attempts to win over the princess and convince her into forming an alliance, but Cleo is rightly suspicious of her and respectfully declines. Amara also tries to form a friendship with Lucia Damora, and after the botched execution of Lysandra Barbas the two hunt down the rebel who perpetrated the escape, a boy by the name of Petros. Lucia, comfortable in front of Amara, uses her magic to kill Petros. Amara lavishes Lucia with praise, but Lucia never pursues the friendship, somewhat upset about Amara's fleeting relationship with her brother, Prince Magnus, who she believes Amara is trying to manipulate. Near the end of the novel, Nicolo Cassian learns that King Gaius has issued a warrant for Amara and her brother's arrest, and he rushes to warn them. The siblings manage to convince Nic to reveal his knowledge of the Kindred, and then Amara taunts Nicolo, remarking how easily Ashur was able to manipulate Nic into falling in love with him. Nic is rendered unconscious and alongside the Kraeshian royals, travel to Limeros to confront Cleo and Magnus, searching Limeros for Lucia, who had eloped with Alexius, and force them to help her claim the Water Kindred. Amara then threatens Nic's life, forcing Cleo and Magnus to lead her to the Water Kindred. Ashur, however, reveals to Nic soon after that his feelings for him were genuine, and betrays Amara, setting Nic free to claim the Water Kindred before Amara, Cleo and Magnus reach the temple. Ashur tries to convince Amara to abandon her mad pursuit for power that he believes will inevitably destroy her, and she feigns remorse, only to get close enough to drive a dagger into his heart. Nic, in shock, drops the Water Kindred and rushes to Ashur's side, and Amara subsequently claims it for her own. She orders her guards to kill Nic, Magnus and Cleo and flees for the docks, and for Kraeshia. Category:Characters Category:Royalty __FORCETOC__ Category:Females